Acetylcholinesterase Levels in Farmers Exposed to Pesticides in Malaysia.

Agriculture is an important component of the Malaysian economy. Pesticides are widely used by farmers to increase crop production. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is known to play an important role in the degradation of acetylcholine (ACh) at the neuromuscular junction of the nervous system. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of pesticide exposure on serum levels of AChE of farmers. A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 95 farmers from Kelantan (n = 49) and Selangor (n = 46) aged between 23 and 71 years were recruited. AChE concentration was measured by spectrophotometry. The results of this study showed that the mean AChE concentrations in farmers from Kelantan and Selangor were 2,715 and 2,660 U/L, respectively, significantly different (p < 0.05) from normal reference value (3500 U/l). Pearson correlation test showed a moderate correlation between AChE level and age (r = - 0.551) and a strong correlation between AChE level and working period (r = -0.872) in farmers in Kelantan. AChE levels in Selangor were also moderately correlated with age (r = -0.353) and working period (r = -0.515). In conclusion, increasing age and long-term pesticide exposure reduce AChE levels in farmers.

Expression of human mammaglobin and clinicopathologic correlations in breast cancer: The findings in Malaysia.

Background: Human mammaglobin (hMAG) is a secreted protein which has been detected in breast epithelial cells of mammary glands and has been used as a specific marker for breast cancer. Objectives: This study aims at studying the hMAG expression and identifying the significant predictors of hMAG expression in breast cancer tissues. Materials and Methods: The tissue samples were obtained from two major teaching hospitals in the country. They were examined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and the hMAG expression was evaluated using an established scoring system. Results: Out of 84 breast cancer tissue samples, hMAG was expressed in 50 samples (59.6%). The expression of hMAG was found to be increased with cancer grade. The output of logistic regression model showed that hMAG was overexpressed in breast cancer samples from the first hospital (P = 0.014), but not with those from the second hospital. Conclusions: It can be concluded that hMAG may serve in the diagnosis and the assessment of progression with the increased cancer grade. The dominance in hMAG expression in samples from HUSM may correlate with ethnic, environmental or genetic factors.